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THE  ART 


OP 

Modeling  Flowers  in  Wax. 


BY 

GEOEGE  WOEGAK 

PRICE,  ONE  DOLLAR. 

SECOND  EDITION. 

FOR  SALE  BY 

H.  H.  DICKINSON, 

CORNER  OP  MONTAODB  PLACE,  OPPOSITE  THE  PIERREPONT  HOUSE, 
BROOKLYN,  N.  T. 

FROST  &  ADAMS,  CORNHILL,  BOSTON. 

JANENTZKY  &  CO. 

112  South  Eighth  Street,  Philadelphia. 


AND  OTHER  AGENTS  THROUGHOUT  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


T 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1860,  by 
HENRY  H.  DICKINSON, 

in  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  for  the 
Eastern  District  of  New  York. 


THE  GETTY  CENTER 


In  submitting  the  ART  OF  MODELING 
FLOWERS  IN  WAX  to  public  favoi’,  I  am  in¬ 
duced  to  believe  it  will  be  found  acceptible ;  while, 
to  the  inexperienced,  ii.  will  afford  much  valuable 
information,  removing  real  and  apparent  difficul¬ 
ties.  It  will  also  present  a  stimulus  to  many  to 
exercise  their  imitative  powers  in  copying  nature’s 
most  beautiful  works,  thereby  cultivating  a  taste 
for  the  Fine  Arts,  which,  in  these  days  of  advance¬ 
ment,  is  absolutely  essential  in  the  varied  pursuits 
of  life. 

The  Author  trusts  that  he  has  conveyed  the  infor¬ 
mation  to  the  reader  in  the  most  simple  manner, 
his  object  being  to  make  it  a  book  of  instruction 
rather  than  a  mere  work  of  words,  whose  tendency 
is  rather  to  perplex  than  aid. 

The  information  contained  in  this  little  treatise 
is  derived  from  long  experience  as  a  teacher  of  the 


4 


Art.  Eocry  rule  laid  down  is  absolutely  needful 
to  follow  as  a  guarantee  of  success  to  the  pupil. 

With  these  few  introchrctory  remarks,  the  Author 
submits  “  The  Art  of  Modeling  Flowers  in  Wax” 
for  the  approval  of  his  readers. 

The  great  success  attending  the  sale  of  the  First 
Edition  of  this  work,  induces  the  author  to  publish 
a  Second,  which  he  trusts  will  meet  the  patronage 
of  the  public. 

46  Montague  Place,  Brooklyn,  1869. 


WAX  FLOWERS 


AS  AN 

IMITATIVE  AND  DECORATIVE  ART. 


The  art  of  imitating  flowers  in  wax  is,  perhaps, 
the  most  beautiful  method  known  of  preserving  a 
life-like  representation  of  garden-gems,  as  the  form, 
color,  and  texture  can  be  imitated  to  perfection  ; 
while  artistic  feeling  on  the  part  of  the  student  is 
required  to  complete  the  idea  that  flowers  can  he 
made  to  resemble  nature  in  every  respect,  as  re¬ 
gards  form,  color,  the  texture,  stamens,  and  other 
parts  of  the  natural  flower. 

Most  of  the  flowers  I  have  seen  made  in  wax  I 
will  not  call  iinitatio'ns  of  nature,  but  stifi',  awk¬ 
ward,  badly-tinted  things,  devoid  of  beauty,  veri¬ 
similitude,  or  taste.  Nothing  looks  so  unlike  a 
uatiiral  flower;  and  these  faults  can  be  easily 
avoided  by  a  little  observation  of  nature. 

The  first  rule  I  would  lay  down  is  to  examine 
the  natural  flower.  Take  the  pattern  of  the  petals, 
count  the  number  in  the  flower,  and  mark  it  on 
1* 


6 


the  pattern  ;  observe  the  same  rule  as  regards  tlie 
calyx  and  stamens ;  mark  the  color  carefully,  as 
this  is  the  most  difficult  part  of  the  study,  though 
perhaps  the  most  pleasant  and  useful,  as  the  tints 
in  flowers  are  of  endless  variety.  Attention  to  the 
rules  laid  down  for  colorino-  will  insure  success. 

O 

Form  is  a  difficult  thing  to  describe,  but  Nature 
will  be  the  truest  guide  ;  for  the  student  can  see,  at 
a  glance,  if  the  petals  be  placed  on  regularly,  as  is 
the  case  in  a  Dahlia,  or  according  to  taste,  as  in 
the  Rose. 

The  texture  is  imitated  by  modeling  with  the 
pin ;  making  the  edges  soft  and  fine  with  the  pres¬ 
sure  of  the  head  or  point.  The  rules  for  making 
the  stems  are  simple.  For  a  small  flower,  take  the 
finest  wire;  for  medium-sized  flowers,  the  larger 
size  ;  and  for  larger  ones,  the  largest-sized  wire. 

Be  very  careful  in  making  the  flower  of  the 
proper  tliickness.  This  is  an  easy  matter,  as  the 
wax  is  made  of  varioiis  thicknesses.  Should  yon 
wish  to  imitate  a  thin  petal,  take  the  thin  wax;  for 
a  thick  one,  take  the  thick  wax  ;  and,  should  you 
require  a  still  thicker  petal,  double  the  wax 
together. 

After  imitating  the  flowers,  take  care,  in  group¬ 
ing  them  -with  taste,  also  not  to  fall  into  the  vulgar 
practice  of  arranging  them  in  the  formal  manner 
that  some  florists  adopt,  namely,  placing  one  large 


flower  in  the  center  of  the  group,  and  a  row  of 
floAvers  round  in  red,  Avhite,  or  blue.  To  all  artists 
this  is  repulsive,  and  Avhence  could  have  originated 
such  a  barbarous  custom  (I  would  not  call  it  taste) 
is  a  matter  of  Avonder.  Cevtaiiilj  not  from  Paris, 
where  floAvers  are  one  of  the  necessities  of  life ; 
nor  London,  where  they  are  used  more  in  garden 
or  hothouse  decorations  than  agremens  for  the 
drawing-room.  The  true  artist  Avill  not  degrade 
art  by  following  “  the  fashion.”  This  may  suit  the 
modes  of  millinery,  but  Art  should  not  Avear  the 
paint  or  mince  the  gait  of  Fashion. 


MA.TERIA.LS  E3SE]SrTIA.L  FOR  IMITaTINU  FLOWERS 
IN  AVAX. 

A  pair  of  scissors,  light  and  thin,  such  as  used 
by  surgeons,  are  the  best  adapted  for  the  purpose ; 
they  should  be  thin  in  tlie  blades  and  rather  loose 
in  the  riA^ets,  so  as  to  cut  easily  round  the  paper  pat¬ 
terns;  a  cup  to  hold  water;  a  pallet;  three  or  four 
steel  pins,  Avith  bead  head  of  different  sizes ;  six  or 
eight  bristle  brushes;  two  or  three  small  sable  pen¬ 
cils;  six  rings  of  green  and  Avhite  wire  of  different 
thicknesses ;  tAvo  Avooden  molds  for  forming  bell¬ 
shaped  flowers,  such  as  the  Lily  of  the  Yalley  or 
Stephanotas ;  a  small  quantity  of  gum  arabic  dis- 


8 


solved  ill  pure  water;  some  white  wax  in  sheets  of 
a  thill  texture,  also  some  of  the  extra  thick  or 
dquhle  wax ;  a  few  tints  of  green  wax,  and  a  shade 
of  light  yellow  wax;  a  few  shades  of  orange  an  i 
red  for  autumn  leaves ;  some  hlooni  for  white 
flowers  and  tea  roses;  also  some  tints  for  making 
Violets,  dark  Roses,  Geraniums,  and  very  brilliant 
colored  flowers,  prepared  expressly  by  myself. 

The  following  colors  in  powder :  White;  chrome 
yellow,  Ro.  1;  chrome  yellow.  No.  2;  chrome  yel¬ 
low,  No.  3;  carmine;  ultramarine  blue;  Prussian 
blue;  vermilion;  cobalt;  magenta  or  solferino; 
violet  (iarmine. 

These  can  be  obtained  of  my  Agents  through¬ 
out  the  States. 

The  tints  before  mentioned  made  by  myself  are  : 
Sofrano  Rose  bloom,  two  or  three  shades ;  white 
bloom  ;  prepared  violet  carmine  ;  prepared  mauve ; 
French  violet ;  rose  pinks,  three  shades.  By  using 
these  preparations  you  can  get  the  very  delicate 
tints  seen  in  Roses,  Geraniums,  Violets,  and 
Heartsease  without  the  trouble  of  mixing  them. 
There  is  ingredient  in  these  that  makes  the  color 
very  easy  to  lay  on,  and  produces  the  soft  and 
velvet-like  look  of  nature.  The}^  should  never  be 
used  except  as  dry  color  to  be  rubbed  on  with  the 
finger  and  thumb. 


9 


Be  sure  that  you  see  the  signature  G.  Worgan, 
on  the  boxes  of  bloom  and  bottles,  as  none  other 
are  genuine  unless  signed  by  me. 


GENERAL  DIRECTIONS  FOR  TAKING  THE  PATTERNS  OF 
FLOWERS  from:  NATURE,  MODELING,  ETC. 

Having  selected  the  necessary  materials,  pro¬ 
cure  a  natural  flower  of  simple  formation;  take 
the  pattern  on  paper.  This  is  done  by  separating 
the  petals  and  taking  one  of  each  size,  placing 
them  upon  paper,  and  passing  a  brush  with  any 
dark  color  over  the  natural  petals  lying  on  the 
white  paper.  It  will,  bj^  this  means,  trace  the 
exact  size  of  the  petal  white,  then  cut  the  colored 
part  off,  whicli  will  leave  the  pattern.  Gount  tlie 
number  of  the  difierent  sizes,  and  write  it  on  the 
pattern  ;  then  observe  if  the  texture  of  the  natural 
flower  be  thick  or  thin ;  if  the  former,  use  thick 
wax;  if  the  latter,  the  thin  wax.  Place  the  pat¬ 
tern  on  the  wax  and  cut  round  the  edge  of  the 
pattern,  turning  the  wax  toward  the  scissors,  by 
this  means  smoothing  the  edge.  To  prevent  the 
wax  sticking  to  the  scissors,  press  them  on  a  wet 
sponge,  or  damp  them  with  a  little  water.  The 
sponge  is  the  better,  as  the  water  has  a  tendency 
to  run  from  the  scissors  to  the  wax,  unless  great 
care  be  taken. 


10 


After  you  liave  cut  the  requisite  number  of 
petals,  observe  if  tlie  stem  of  the  flower  is  thick  or 
thin,  stiff  or  supple ;  use  the  thick  wire  for  the 
former,  and  if  thin  take  the  fine  wire. 

There  is  a  medium-sized  wire  used  for  such 
flowers  as  Rose-buds,  Carnations,  etc.  Should  the 
stem  be  very  thick,  two  or  three  sizes  can  be 
doubled  together  to  give  it  strength.  This  will  be 
requisite  in  such  flowers  as  the  Magnolia  or  Water 
Lily. 

One  of  the  most  important  rules  to  be  observed 
is  to  double  the  wire  over  at  the  top  twice  or  thrice 
to  make  a  kind  of  knot  to  secure  the  foundation  to 
the  stem,  which  should  be  molded  in  the  shape  of 
the  heart  of  the  flower.  In  modeling  rose-buds, 
the  foundation  must  be  made  very  large,  and  in 
the  shape  of  the  flower,  so  that  the  petals  may  fit 
closely  round. 

Where  stamens  form  the  centre  of  the  flower, 
they  must  be  placed  on  the  wire,  and  a  very  small 
portion  of  wax  put  at  the  base  to  secure  them  to  it. 

Stamens  are  made  of  white  waxed  thread.  If 
they  are  thick  as  in  the  Fuchsia,  spool  thread  ISTo. 
20,  waxed  wilh  white  wax;  for  the  Azalia,  and 
flowers  of  a  similar  character,  Ro.  40  ;  for  the 
finest  flowers,  such  as  Mignonnette  and  Laiires- 
tinas.  No.  100.  Having  waxed  the  thread,  place  a 
small  portion  of  the  wax  on  the  top  the  exact  size 


11 


of  nature,  and  conform  its  color  with  thaf  of  the 
natural  flower.  Should  they  be  red  or  any  color 
but  white,  take  the  bristle  brush  and  paint  them 
with  wet  color,  being  careful  not  to  rub  tlie  tops 
off.  Count  the  number  of  stamens.  If  only  a 
few  are  observable,  as  in  the  Azalias,  Fiielisias, 
Laurestinas,  Honeysuckle,  White  Lily  and  Gera¬ 
nium,  when  in  large  clusters,  as  seen  in  the  Wild 
Rose,  Orange  Flower,  and  Myrtle,  put  as  many 
as  you  think  looks  natural.  It  was  once  the  cus¬ 
tom  to  form  stamens  by  taking  the  sheet  wax,  turn¬ 
ing  dowm  the  edge,  and  cutting  them  in  fine  strips  ; 
this  is  done  now  in  some  cases  when  the  stamens 
are  of  uniform  height,  I  prefer  in  all  eases  to 
make  the  stamens  of  thread,  though  it  requires 
much  longer  time;  but  in  art  time  is  but  a  second¬ 
ary  consideration,  truthfulness  being  the  only  aim 
of  the  student. 

There  are  two  ways  of  using  the  color,  one  by 
taking  the  bristle  brush,  dipping  the  end  of  the 
stick  in  water  and  dropping  it  on  the  pallet,  put¬ 
ting  a  small  portion  of  the  color  on  the  brush, 
then  passing  it  gently  over  the  surface  of  the  wax 
petals ;  the  other  is  by  rubbing  the  bloom'  on  the 
surface  with  the  finger  and  thumb  of  the  right 
hand,  taking  care  that  the  color  or  bloom  come 
not  in  contact  with  the  bottom  of  the  petal,  or  it 
will  prevent  the  adhesion  to  the  foundation. 


12 


All  traiisparent-loolcing  flowers  mnst  be  colored 
with  tlie  wet  color,  by  passing  the  brush  over  the 
petals  commencing  at  the  top,  letting  the  pressure 
on  the  brush  deepen  the  shade  toward  the  centre 
of  the  petal.  This  is  a  rule  you  must  attend  to  in 
making  the  Pink  Cabbage  Pose,  as  the  petals  are 
much  lighter  at  the  top.  Should  you  require  a 
deeper  shade  at  the  top  of  the  petal,  as  in  the 
Pink  Geranium,  you  must  color  the  petal  upward, 
letting  the  pressure  and  depth  of  color  fall  on  its 
edge.  In  all  cases  where  the  petal  is  painted  with 
the  sable  brush,  as  in  the  Carnation  Arbutalan  and 
Geranium,  wet  color  must  be  used,  as  the  delicate 
lines  can  not  be  put  on  smoothly,  shorild  the  under 
tint  be  made  of  dry  color. 

Avoid  taking  too  much  water,  as  the  color 
should  be  only  damp,  not  wmt  enough  to  run.  Pe 
careful  not  to  dip  the  bristle  part  of  the  brush  into 
water,  as  it  will  make  the  color  too  thin ;  but  put 
the  water  on  the  color  with  the  end  of  the  brush- 
stick,  adding  water  when  needful,  as  the  color 
soon  dries. 

For  very  velvet-like  colors  and  texture,  (as  in 
the  Heartsease  and  the  back  petals  of  the  Gera¬ 
nium,)  curl  the  petal  with  the  pin  into  shape  first, 
then  color ;  this  is  to  prevent  the  pin  rubbing  the 
color. 

Yon  can  color  all  transparent  colors  before  the 


13 


petal  is  cnrled.  Hold  the  brush  upright  and  pass 
smoothly  over  the  surface.  When  one  side  of  the 
petal  is  colored,  let  it  dry,  and  then  color  the  other 
side.  See  if  the  color  be  the  same  on  each  side. 
If  the  back  petal  is  brighter  in  nature,  be  sure  to 
imitate  the  color ;  this  rule  omitted  destroys  the 
natural  appearance  of  your  copy. 

For  Tea  Roses  and  Yiolets,  dark  damask  Roses 
and  Azalias,  use  the  blooms  prepared  by  me,  and 
spoken  of  in  the  list  of  materials.  They  are  to  be 
rubbed  on  with  the  finger  and  thumb  of  the  right 
hand,  liolding  the;  petal  at  the  base  with  the  finger 
and  thumb  of  the  left  hand. 

Should  any  fine  lines  or  marks  be  seen  on  the 
petals,  take  the  sable  brush  and  paint  over  the- 
petal.  For  the  Geranium  or  Arbutalan  you  may 
add  a  little  of  the  very  thinnest  gum-water.  This, 
will  give  a  sharpness  or  distinctness  to  the  pen¬ 
ciling*;  but  do  not  use  too  much,  or  it  will  pro¬ 
duce  a  glazed  appearance  that  looks  very  unnatu¬ 
ral. 

In  all  cases  where  the  bloom  is  used,  the  petals 
are  curled  after  they  are  tinted.  Be  sure  to  ob¬ 
serve  if  the  petals  are  darker  or  lighter  in  the 
centre  of  the  flower,  and  tint  accordingly. 

The  tints  of  color  are  made  by  combining  the 
colors  mentioned  in  the  list  of  materials.  Take  a 


2 


14 


small  portion  of  the  following  colors  and  proceed 
to  practice  the  mixing  of  tints. 

The  tint  required  is  put  on  the  left  side  of  the 
])age,  and  the  colors  used  for  producing  it  on  the 


right. 

Crimson  is  produced  by 

Pink 

Rose  Pink  “ 

Bright  Pink  “ 

Purple 

Dark  purple  “ 

Green  “ 

Olive  green  “ 

Dark  black  green  “ 

Brown  “ 

Pale  blue 

Lemon  color  “ 

Buff 

Salmon  color 

Pale  violet  “ 

Bright  blue  “  , 

Pale  forget  me  not  blue 
Scarlet 

Very  beautiful  purple  “ 

Bright  lake  red  “ 


Carmine. 

Carmine  and  white. 

(Carmine,  white  and  light 
1  blue.  (A  very  small  por- 
(  tion  of  the  latter.) 

Pink  madder. 

Carmine  and  blue. 

Carmine  and  Prussian  blue. 

Prussian  blue  and  yellow. 

Prussian  blue  and  chrome 
yellow,  No.  2 

)  Prussian  blue,  orange,  and 
I  a  little  carmine. 

Carmine  and  green. 

* 

Ultramarine,  blue  and  white. 

Pale  3’ellow  and  white. 

Orange,  white  and  pink. 

(Orange,  white,  and  a  little 
}  carmine. 

Mauve  purple  and  white. 
LTltramarine. 

Cobalt. 

Vermilion  and  carmine. 
Violet  carmine. 

Solferino  or  magenta. 


15 


Bluish  green  is  produced  by 


I 


Yellow,  white,  and  Prus¬ 


sian  blue. 


Transparent  white  “ 


( Arrow  root  finely  ground 
with  white  color.  This 
(  must  be  used  dry. 


Yellowish  white 


White  color  and  a  small 
portion  of  the  palest  yel¬ 
low. 


White  added  to  any  of  these  colors  lightens  the 
tint.  Arrow-root  can  be  used  with  any  of  these 
colors,  but  care  must  be  taken  not  to  make  the 
color  wet.. 

For  coloring  fall  leaves,  use  carmine,  brown  and 
scarlet,  on  yellow  or  red  wax. 

FORMING  PETALS  AND  AD, JUSTING  THEM  ACCORDING 


TO  NATURE. 


The  art  of  curling  or  forming  the  petals  into  a 
concave  shape  requires  strict  attention  to  the  fol¬ 
lowing  rules : 

Take  the  pin  in  the  right  hand  holding  it  with 
the  thumb  and  forefinger,  place  the  petal  in  the 
palm  of  the  left  hand,  then  roll  the  pin  with  the 
right  hand,  letting  the  bead  part  press  the  petal, 
and  pass  sharply  round  its  extreme  edge,  taking 
care  not  to  rub  the  petal  with  the  head  of  the  pin, 
but  let  it  revolve  easily ;  the  pressure  ought  to  be 
moderate,  so  as  to  avoid  tearing  the  wax. 

To  prevent  the  wax  sticking  to  the  pin,  press  it 
on  the  damp  sponge. 


16 


For  making  tlie  tliin  ragged  edge,  so  often  seen 
in  nature,  take  tlie  point  of  tlie  pin  and  press  tlie 
edge  of  the  petal,  rubbing  it  till  it  becomes  verij 
thin.  The  best  practice  for  attaining  proficiency 
in  curling  the  petals  properly  is,  to  take  small 
pieces  of  wax,  and  round  them  with  the  bead  or 
head  of  the  pin,  afterward  pressing  the  edge  with 
tlie  point.  When  lines  are  required,  the  pin  should 
be  pressed  on  the  petal ;  these  are  very  distinct  in 
the  White  Lily  and  Orange  blossom. 

The  petal  of  the  rose  is  very  round  or  bowl¬ 
shaped.  After  curling  it  with  the  head  of  the  pin, 
take  the  right  thnmb  and  forefinger,  and  mold  it 
it  into  a  round  or  concave  shape;  this  forms  the 
Clip  or  chalice  of  the  Hose. 

In  the  outside  petals  yon  must  make  a  small 
tuck  at  the  base  of  each,  so  as  to  contract  them;, 
this  is  done  by  turning  the  wax  over  at  the  bottom. 

For  ease  in  the  construction  of  the  flower,  hold 
the  stem  with  the  foundation  in  the  left  hand,  plac¬ 
ing  them  on  with  the  right  thumb  and  forefinger, 
care  being  taken  that  you  observe  whether  the 
petals  are  ]mt  on  in  regular  or  irregular  numbers. 
In  flowers  that  have  five  or  ten  petals  in  a  row, 
you  will  hud  it  easier  in  construction,  as  space  is 
left  for  the  succeeding  row  of  petals  by  the  preced¬ 


ing  one. 


17 


Roses  are  v^ery  irregular  in  formation,  the  petals 
are  generally  bunched  in  tiers  of  two  or  three. 

In  the  Rose-hud  they  seem  to  follow  each  other 
round  the  foundation  and  the  petals  inclining  to 
one  side. 

Ho  positive  rule  can  be  given  in  forming  the 
Rose ;  much  is  left  to  the  taste  of  tlie  pupil.  Copy 
the  character  of  the  flower.  Should  you  And  that 
it  looks  stiff  or  awkward,  take  the  petals  off  and 
put  them  on  in  a  different  manner. 

Be  sure  you  adopt  not  the  error  of  making  the 
Rose  too  full-blown,  as  they  lose  their  beauty 
after  the  cup-like  appearance  is  gone. 

The  buds  are  exceedingly  beautiful  of  the  Tea 
Rose.  This  is  the  most  difficult  of  all  flowei’s  to 
imitate,  as  great  taste  is  required  in  the  arrange¬ 
ment  of  the  petals.  French  people  excel  all  the 
world  in  making  artificial  Roses,  because  this 
element  of  taste  is  a  national  trait.  I  never 
knew  a  person  destitute  of  it  making  a  good  imita¬ 
tion  of  a  Rose.  They  generally  succeed  better  iii 
such  flowers  as  the  Dahlia,  Camelias,  Stephanotas, 
and  other  regularly  formed  flowers. 

In  coloring,  do  not  make  too  frequent  use  of  the 
petroleum  colors,  such  as  solferino  and  magenta, 
they  are  so  vivid  that  they  are  apt  to  destroy  the 
delicate  tint  of  the  other  colors.  Occasionally  they 

2* 


18 


look  well  for  small  flowers,  siicli  as  Rose-buds, 
Fiichsias,  etc. 

In  modeling  fine  flowers  like  the  Mignonnette, 
Heliotrope,  and  Lauristinas,  great  care  should  be 
taken  to  cut  the  petals  and  stamens  very  finely  ; 
neatness  is  one  of  the  most  recpiisite  cpialifications 
to  insure  a  correct  representation  of  the  smaller 
flowers. 

Having  given,  as  clearly  as  I  can,  general  rules 
for  coloring,  curling,  and  arrangement  of  all  flowers, 
I  will  now  ])roceed  to  give  directions  for  twenty  of 
the  most  admired  flowers,  as  well  as  those  contain¬ 
ing  the  best  rules  for  perfecting  the  pupil  in  any 
they  may  desire  to  copy.  Of  course  a  good  draw¬ 
ing,  natural  flower,  or  Avax  one  Avill  be  required  as 
a  model. 

CONSTRUCTION  OF  THE  SOFRANO  TEA  ROSE-BUD. 

Cut  the  larger-sized  petals  out  of  tliich  white  wax 
or  thin  wax  doubled — the  two  smaller  sizes  from 
thin  Avax ;  rub  them  Avith  the  sofrano  rose  bloom, 
tint  some  of  the  petals  Avith  light  pink  powder, 
also  rubbed  on,  take  care  to  leave  a  portion  of 
the  petal  uncolored  at  the  base,  as  this  is  the  part 
you  require  to  join  to  the  foundation. 

Take  the  medium-sized  Avire,  cut  a  piece  of  the 
length  of  six  or  eight  inches,  and  be  sure  that  you 
turn  doAvn  the  wire  at  the  top  about  the  eighth  of 


19 


an  inch,  to  secure  the  foundation  from  slipping  off ; 
put  a  sheet  of  wax  on  this  part  and  make  the  foun¬ 
dation  in  the  shape  of  the  licart  of  the  flower. 
This  should  be  round  at  the  base,  about  flve-eighths 
of  an  inch  in  width,  gradually  tapering  till  it  comes 
to  a  point  at  the  top,  in  shape  resembling  the  hard- 
closed  bud  of  the  rose.  Curl  the  edges  of  the 
small  petals  with  the  head  of  the  pin,  and  fix  them 
1‘ound  the  foundation,  extending  them  at  the  edge 
to  give  an  open  appearance  at  the  top.  Add  the 
second-sized  petals  and  place  on  in  the  same  way, 
rather  on  one  side.  The  large  petals  must  be  curled 
very  much,  and  the  bowl  shape  made  by  pressing 
the  edges  of  the  bottom  part  together  and  curling 
it  round  -with  the  head  of  the  curling  pin  ;  these 
petals  are  placed  on,  some  much  on  one  side  aiid 
one  or  two  of  them  falling  backward. 

Take  dark  green  wax  and  very  pale  green  wax 
for  the  calyx  ;  join  together,  press  the  point  of  the 
]>in  at  the  sides,  and  curl  the  base  of  them  with  the 
head  of  the  pin.  Place  these  round  the  outside  of 
the  bud,  add  the  seed  cup,  wdiich  is  made  by  roll 
ing  dai’k  green  round  the  wire  ■  in  the  shape  of  a 
cup ;  place  the  strip  of  green  wax  on  the  wire  to 
make  the  stem,  tint  the  calyx  and  stem  with  a  lit¬ 
tle  reddish  brown,  which  will  impart  a  natural 
effect,  as  the  Tea  Rose  calyx  is  seldom  green. 

Take  a  mold  of  the  natural  leaf  with  plaster  of 


20 


Paris,  by  procuring  a  real  leaf,  rubbing  it  with 
sweet  oil,  placing  it  on  a  piece  of  paper  on  a  table, 
mixing  the  plaster  of  Paris  in  water  till  it  acquires 
moderate  thickness;  pouring  the  plaster  on  the  sur¬ 
face  of  the  oiled  leaf,  then  add  some  thicker  plaster 
to  give  it  strength.  In  about  twenty  minutes  take 
the  mold  fi-om  the  table  and  then  remove  the 
natural  leaf  from  the  plaster,  this  will  readily  fall 
■off  and  leave  the  exact  impression  of  the  leaf. 

Make  a  stem  of  the  litre  wire,  cover  with  wax 
very  neatly,  take  a  dark  shade  of  green  wax  and 
press  on  to  the  surface  of  the  mold,  after  having 
damped  it  with  a  little  water  ;  press  the  stem  on  to 
the  centre,  then  place  another  sheet  of  lighter 
green,  take  it  off  the  mold  and  cut  the  fine  points 
as  yon  see  on  the  impression,  color  with  a  deeper 
shade  of  green,  leaving  the  centre  rather  lighter  ; 
tint  it  with  brown  or  any  color  that  resembles  the 
natural  leaf. 

These  rules  are  applied  to  take  the  molds  of  all 
leaves.  Though  you  may  alter  the  shades  of  green 
or  the  size  of  the  wire,  according  to  circumstances, 
the  molds  for  every  leaf  are  taken  in  the  same  way. 
Be  sure  yon  select  a  leaf  with  a  deep  impression, 
and  get  them  of  different  sizes. 

Autumn  Leaves  are  made  by  the  same  method. 
The  scarlet  ones  are  colored  with  carmine  on  yel¬ 
low  wax. 


21 


Should  you  wish  to  purchase  the  molds,  they  can 
be  obtained  at  my  agents. 

THE  PINK  TEA  KOSE. 

This  flower  is  made  In  the  same  way.  Color  the 
inside  petals  with  dark  rose  pink  made  from  violet 
carmine,  white  and  carmine  ;  make  the  centre  very 
close  ;  color  the  outex’  petals  with  a  lighter  shade  of 
pink,  by  adding  more  white  powder ;  curl  the  petals 
very  tliin  at  the  edge,  as  the  flower  is  very  trans¬ 
parent  ;  make  the  calyx  rather  lighter  in  the  same 
way  that  you  adopted  for  the  Tea  Rose  ;  tint  them 
according  to  nature  or  the  model  you  are  copying 
from. 

Tlie  leaves  are  made  in  the  same  way  as  for  the 
Tea  liose-bud.  This  flower  can  be  imitated  very 
well,  and  looks  most  pleasing  in  a  group. 

The  pink  Cabbage  Rose  is  tinted  with  pink  in 
the  centre,  and  a  very  pale  color  outside ;  the 
petals  are  placed  on  in  branches  of  three  and  five, 
and  are  ver}’  numerous.  Let  the  centre  sink,  place 
the  larger  petals  round,  in  a  very  cup-like  shape, 
then  let  the  outside  ones  gradually  fall  back ;  the 
petals  sliould  be  curled  very  thin,  and  turned  over 
slight!}’  at  the  edge. 

The  calyx  and  cup  are  made  in  the  same  way  as 
for  the  other  Roses.  Take  the  mould  of  the  leaf  in 


the  way  as  directed.  The  leaf  is  much  lighter  and 
not  fo  pointed  as  for  the  Tea  Rose. 

MOSS  ROSE-BED. 

Form  the  foundation  according  to  the  size  you 
require  ;  cut  about  twenty  petals  of  various  sizes  ; 
color  the  inside  ones  deeper  pink  than  the  outside 
■ones ;  curl  them  at  the  edge  ;  place  them  round 
the  foundation  very  tightly  ;  making  the  outer 
petals  extend,  a  little,  the  general  formation  being 
like  the  other  Rose-buds.  Take  very  fine  natural 
moss,  ]fiace  the  small  fibres  on  a  calyx  cut  from 
light  green  wax,  in  the  sha])e  of  the  fiower  ;  add 
the  moss  to  the  seed-cup,  tint  it  with  a  little  brown 
color,  to  give  it  a  more  natural  look.  The  moss 
must  he  dry,  and  it  will  readily  adhere  to  the  wax. 
Let  the  fine  fibres  extend  out  at  the  sides  ajid  top 
of  the  calyx.  Should  you  desire  to  expend  much 
time,  you  can  imitate  the  moss  by  cutting  it  out  of 
green  wax.  This  is  a  very  tedious  process  and  re¬ 
quires  much  care,  but  it  will  be  more  satisfactory 
as  a  work  of  art  to  the  pupil. 

Leaves  the  same  as  for  the  Cabbage  Rose. 

THE  PINK  MOSS  ROSE. 

Cut  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  petals  of 
various  sizes ;  make  up  in  the  same  way  as  for  the 
Cabbage  Rose,  but  making  the  centre  more  full  by 


23 


adding  some  very  small  petals  ;  color  them  tlie 
same  tint  as  the  Cabbage  Rose;  add  the  moss  to 
the  calyx,  and  yonr  Rose  is  complete. 

Moss  Roses  are  seldom  made,  as  the  buds  show 
the  calyx ;  and  the  labor  is  lost  to  view  in  the  full¬ 
blown  Rose,  as  the  calyx  is  seldom  seen. 

THE  WHITE  ROSE. 

is  made  of  thin  white  wax,  very  full  in  the  centre, 
and  the  petals  much  curled  ;  tint  with  pale  yellow ; 
make  a  few  stamens  of  fine  thread  waxed  with  a 
small  portion  of  yellow  wax  on  the  top  ;  tint  these 
with  a  little  orange  chrome ;  place  them  round  a 
small  foundation  of  pale  green  Avax  cut  at  the 
edge.  Make  up  in  the  same  manner  as  the  Pink 
Cabbage  Rose,  but  not  quite  so  large.  The  calyx 
is  made  in  the  same  way  as  for  the  Tea  Rose-bud. 

THE  RED  OR  DAMASK  ROSE-BUD. 

Cut  the  petals  out  of  thin  white  wax,  curl  them 
as  you  would  the  Tea-Rose,  then  take  a  brush  and 
color  witli  carmine  ;  place  them  on  the  foundation 
and  then  add  the  calyx. 

Damask,  purple,  and  bright  lake-colored  Roses 
are  ail  made  in  the  same  way.  A  very  beautiful 
color  for  a  rich  purple  Rose  is  made  by  the  violet 
carmine  bloom.  This  can  be  used  dry  and  the 
petals  curled  after  they  are  colored.  Never  rub 


24 


pure  carmine  as  it  becomes  dingy  by  friction.  Car¬ 
mine  must  be  always  used  as  a  wet  color. 

This  concludes  tlie  cliapter  on  Roses.  I  would 
advise  the  student  to  pay  particular  attention  to 
imitating  these,  tlie  most  beautiful  of  all  flowers. 
Taste,  fancy,  and  color  can  never  be  exhausted  in 
their  manipulation.  A  giwp  of  flowers  without 
Rose-buds  is  as  destitute  of  beauty  as  a  landscape 
without  water.  Like  the  stars,  tliey  diversify  and 
illuminate  what  else  were  monotonous  and  dark. 

FORMATION  OF  THE  HEIHOTROPE. 

This  is  a  difficult  flower  to  imitate,  and  requires 
some  patience,  but  wdll  amply  repay  it,  as  it  can 
be  copied  very  perfectly,  and  is  a  most  pleasing 
addition  to  a  group  of  flowers. 

Get  very  thin  white  wax,  double  it,  cut  the  flve 
petals  in  one,  making  a  sort  of  star ;  curl  these 
with  a  small  pin  ;  make  a  whole  in  the  centre  ; 
take  tlie  finest  wire,  make  a  small  green  head, 
about  the  size  of  the  head  of  a  pin.  After  the  wire 
is  doubled  over  once  at  the  top,  for  the  purpose  of 
securing  the  foundation  to  it,  pass  the  wire  part 
through  the  whole  in  the  centre  of  the  star-shaped 
petals  till  they  touch  the  surface.  Get  a  small 
band  of  light  green  wax;  roll  it  round  the  back  of 
the  petals  to  form  a  cup  ;  press  the  centre  of  each 
petal  into  this  with  a  small  curling  pin ;  then 


25 


gradually  draw  the  stem  through  into  it,  so  as  to 
give  the  hollow  appearance  seen  in  nature. 

This  requires  great  care,  lest  you  draw  the  wire 
out  of  the  foundation.  The  least  motion  must  be 
used. 

After  the  flower  is  formed,  take  the  small  bristle 
brush  ;  use  the  mauve  color  and  white,  (which  will 
make  the  most  delicate  lilac ;  color  the  edge  of  the 
petals,  leaving  the  centre  white  ;  take  the  smallest 
sable  himsh,  and  tip  the  centre  with  light  green. 

The  back  of  the  flower  will  be  rather  larger  than 
in  the  natural  flower;  but,  as  the  flowers  are  placed 
close  together,  it  will  not  be  observed.  The  reason 
of  its  being  made  larger  is,  that  the  petals  could 
not  be  pressed  on  to  a  smaller  foundation,  so  as  to 
fix  them  securely. 

About  fifteen  or  twenty  blossoms,  with  buds 
made  of  small  pieces  of  solid  white  wax,  colored 
purple,  will  make  a  very  effective  and  pleasing 
group.  The  leaves  are  made  of  a  dull  shade  of 
green  wax  pressed  on  the  plaster  mold. 

LAURESTINAS. 

This  flower  is  made  of  white  wax  doubled,  (for 
the  larger  blossoms  trebled,)  as  the  flower,  though 
small,  has  a  very  thick  appearance;  it  is  cut  alto¬ 
gether,  and  looks  like  the  Heliotrope,  only  larger. 

3 


26 


After  cutting  out,  rub  the  petals  with  white  pow¬ 
der  and  arrow-root,  with  the  slightest  shade  of  the 
palish  yellow,  barely  enough  to  turn  the  color  into 
a  yellowish  white ;  curl  the  petals  with  the  head  of 
the  small-sized  curling-pin,  and  make  the  centre  of 
very  line  white  thread,  No.  100,  waxed  with  white 
wax ;  add  the  little  tops  about  the  size  of  half  a 
pin’s  head — these  are  made  of  yellow  wax;  join 
them  to  a  piece  of  the  finest  wire  with  a  small 
green  thread  for  the  centre.  The  stamens  should 
be  about  the  sixth  of  an  inch  in  height ;  a  hole  is 
made  in  the  middle  of  the  star-shaped  petals,  and 
the  wire  passed  through,  leaving  the  stamens  out 
and  the  petals  round.  A  small  cup  for  the  back  or 
calyx  is  then  to  be  made,  the  petals  to  be  pressed 
on  to  it.  The  stem  is  to  be  made  a  reddish  brown, 
and  the  blossoms  joined  together  to  form  a  group. 
The  buds  are  made  of  solid  white,  tinted  with 
pink ;  the  leaves  are  formed  of  dark  green  wax, 
tinted  pink  at  the  back,  and  veined  with  a  darker 
tint  of  red. 


FORGET-ME-NOT. 

This  flower  is  made  in  the  same  way  as  the  fore¬ 
going;  the  only  difi’erence  being,  that  the  centre  is 
composed  of  minute  pieces  of  yellow  w'ax,  and  the 
petals  tinted  with  light  blue,  made  from  cobalt,  and 
a  small  portion  of  white. 


27 


The  leaves  are  of  a  bright  green  color  ;  five  or 
six  blossoms  and  two  or  three  buds  will  make  a 
pretty  group. 


THE  MIGNONNETTE. 

As  the  formation  of  this  flower  is,  perhaps  the 
most  difficult  to  describe,  I  will  endeavor  to  do  so 
with  accuracy.  Take  a  piece  of  fine  wire,  about 
five  inches  in  length;  make  a  little  top,,  with  the 
palest  yellow  green,  in  the  shape  of  a  caraway 
seed  ;  cut  a  small  piece  of  w^ax  about  an  inch  in 
length  and  one  fourth  in  depth ;  cut  this  so  as  to 
make  a  fringe ;  roll  it  round  the  top  of  the  wire 
lowering  it  as  you  roll  it,  so  as  to  make  the  top  in  a 
pyramid  shape.  Then  take  another  strip  of  wax  of 
the  same  color,  double  it,  and  turn  over  at  the  top ; 
cut  so  as  to  separate  it ;  roll  round  in  the  same  way 
as  before,  so  as  to  form  the  head  or  spike  of  flowers. 

The  next  things  to  be  made  are  the  buds,  whicii 
should  be  cut  from  pale  green  and  white  wax  into 
six  small  points.  These  are  rolled  round,  taking 
care  that  the  ends  are  not  pressed  together;  they 
are  to  be  placed  round  rather  lower,  five  in  number 
The  next,  half  blown  blossoms,  are  made  from  light 
green,  cut  in  the  same  way  as  the  buds.  Take  a 
small  piece  of  white  wax,  cut  into  a  fringe  of  about 
the  eighth  of  an  inch  in  width  and  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  in  height;  roll  these  inside  the  green  wax. 


28 


taking  care  that  the  fine  points  expand  at  the  top; 
these  are  placed  on  in  the  space  left  by  the  buds ; 
add  two  or  three  rows  under,  made  in  the  same 
way,  with  the  addition  of  a  few  fine  threads  in  the 
centre,  made  of  No.  100  spool  thread,  waxed  with 
pale  yellow ;  this  will  give  strength  to  the  flower 
and  delicacy  to  the  stem.  After  they  are  made  up, 
take  a  sable  brush  and  paint  the  bottom  of  the 
blossoms  with  a  little  orange  color  ;  afterward  add 
a  little  brown  or  red,  to  make  it  darker  at  the  ends. 

The  principal  difficulty  in  making  this  flower  is 
the  patience  required  in  cutting  and  fixing  the  blos¬ 
soms.  Practice  and  attention  to  these  rules  will 
enable  the  student  to  attain  to  perfection.  There 
are  few  flowers  more  highly  prized  than  the  mignon- 
nette ;  the  delicacy  and  beauty  of  its  form  is  ex¬ 
pressed  in  France  under  the  atfectionate  diminu¬ 
tive,  “The  Frenchman’s  Darling.” 

THE  WHITE  CAMELLIA. 

The  petals  of  this  chaste  and  beautiful  flower  are 
cut  from  thick  white  wax  and  rubbed  with  arrow- 
root  ;  the  stem  should  be  made  of  the  larger-sized 
wire,  bent  over  several  times  at  tbs  top.  Form  the 
foundation  of  white  wax,  making  it  in  the  shape 
and  size  of  a  small  almond.  Place  the  three  small 
petals  in  the  palm  of  the  hand  and  curl  them  so  that 
the  concave  part  of  the  petal  should  fit  over  the 


29 


foundation.  Place  a  larger  size,  three  in  number, 
in  the  spaces  l^ft  by  the  small  petals ;  the  other 
petals  are  placed  rather  above.  After  you  have  put 
on  five  or  six  rows  of  the  smaller  petals,  turn  the 
larger  sizes  back  ;  these  should  be  placed  round  the 
centre  and  curled  very  much  at  the  edge  to  give 
that  beautiful  thinness  so  observable  in  the  natural 
flower. 

The  calyx  is  made  of  green  wax,  colored  with  a 
slight  tint  of  brown. 

The  leaves  are  formed  on  the  plaster  mold  with 
dark  green  wax,  two  thicknesses,  and  a  light  shade 
at  the  back.  After  you  have  cut  the  fine  edge,  or 
points  on  the  leaf,  color  with  dark  green,  afterward 
polish  with  a  dry  brush,  as  the  leaves  have  a  very 
bright  surface. 

This  flower  is  much  used  for  decorations  and 
head-dresses.  It  is  easily  constructed. 


THE  CARNATION. 

This  flower  is  cut  from  white  wax,  the  petals 
very  much  curled  with  the  stem  of  the  pin,  so  as  to 
form  a  ridge  in  the  centre  of  each.  Color  the  petals 
with  white,  or  the  color  of  the  flower  you  are 
copying,  and  then  pencil  them  with  the  sable 
brush,  making  the  stripes  of  various  sizes.  Care 
3* 


30 


must  be  taken  to  curl  the  petals  before  coloring,  as 
the  marks  would  rub  off  and  look  indistinct. 

The  stamens  are  made  of  waxed  thread,  No.  30, 
turned  over  at  the  top  and  placed  on  a  thin  foun¬ 
dation  of  pale  green  wax,  added  to  medium-sized 
wire.  Place  the  petals  on  in  rows  of  five,  letting 
each  row  fall  a  little,  the  preceding  spaces  to  be 
filled  by  the  succeeding  petals. 

The  calyx  is  made  of  pale  green  tinted  with  a 
darker  bhiish  green  made  from  orange,  Prussian 
blue,  and  white. 

The  leaves  are  cut  from  green  wax  and  tinted 
with  the  same  color. 

The  dark  Clove  Pink  is  made  exactly  in  the  same 
way  as  the  Carnation,  except  as  regards  the  color. 
This  is  obtained  by  carmine  for  the  center  petals, 
and  a  little  violet  carmine  added  to  carmine  for  the 
outer  petals.  A  beautiful  sort  of  Clove  Pink  can  be 
made  by  rubbing  the  petals  with  the  violet  bloom  ; 
the  calyx  and  leaves  are  made  like  the  Carnation. 

THE  ENGLISH  PINK. 

In  construction  this  flower  is  similar  to  the  pre¬ 
ceding  ;  the  petals  are  cut  at  the  edges  into  small 
points,  and  the  centre  of  each  is  colored  with  a  spot 
of  dark  purple,  made  from  violet,  carmine,  and 
Prussian  blue.  The  leaves  are  similar  to  the  Car¬ 
nation  in  form  and  color. 


31 


The  Scarlet  Pink  is  made  by  coloring  the  petals 
with  scarlet. 

WHITE  WATER  LILY. 

There  are  few  flowers  more  popular  than  the 
Water  Lily,  or  that  present  a  prettier  appearance 
when  imitated  in  wax.  It  is  easily  made.  Take 
the  extra  thick  wax,  or  doubled  thin  wax,  and  cut 
out  about  thirty  petals ;  rub  them  with  arrow-root, 
and  curl  them  well  at  the  edge ;  take  yellow  wax 
for  the  stamens,  and  cut  out  about  five  rows,  ac¬ 
cording  to  pattern  ;  tint  the  inside  with  orange,  and 
the  outer  stamens  with  bright  yellow.  Make  the 
centre  of  solid  wax,  on  wire  of  the  largest  size ; 
press  or  indent  the  marks  with  the  point  of  the 
curling- pin  ;  place  the  stamens  round,  then  curl  the 
petals ;  making  them  very  round  and  thin  at  the 
edge ;  place  the  smallest  size  round, and  the  remain¬ 
der  in  rows,  of  five  each  row,  fitting  into  the  space 
left  by  the  preceding  petals.  Let  them  form  a  cup. 

Should  you  require  a  full-blown  flower,  form  the 
last  row  down,  make  the  four  calyx  of  doubled 
green  wax,  and  white  for  the  inside  ;  curl  them  in 
the  same  way  as  the  petals,  and  place  them  round 
the  flower  at  equal  distances.  Sometimes  the  calyx 
is  tinted  with  brown  ;  if  so,  shade  it  with  carmine  ; 
this  over  the  green  will  make  a  brown  tint.  Should 
it  be  darker  than  the  green  wax,  color  wdth  the 


32 


Prussian  blue  and  orange.  To  make  tlie  sliining 
surface,  rub  them  witli  the  dry  brush  ;  make  the 
stem  very  thick,  and  color  brown.  The  bud  is  made 
in  the  same  way,  only  with  a  few  petals  closed  over 
a  foundation  of  white  wax,  No  centre  is  required, 
as  it  is  not  seen  ;  calyx  the  same  as  the  flower.  The 
leaves  are  made  of  dark  green,  sometimes  tinted 
brown  and  penciled  with  red  veins  at  the  back. 
This  flower  looks  well  in  a  group  by  itself,  or  placed 
on  a  mirror  of  plate  glass. 

RED  FUCHSIA. 

The  beautiful  red  sepals  which  form  the  calyx  are 
cut  from  doubled  wax,  the  four  inside  petals  from 
single  wax.  Color  the  former  with  carmine  after 

O 

they  are  curled  at  the  edge,  leaving  the  neck  of  the 
petal  uncolored.  Color  the  centre  with  purple  made 
of  mauve,  then  make  the  stamens  of  thick  thread. 
No.  20,  waxed  with  white  wax  ;  make  a  small  top 
to  each ;  color  them  with  carmine,  ])lace  them  on  a 
foundation  made  of  the  flne  wire ;  flx  tlie  four  pur¬ 
ple  petals  round  ;  roll  a  small  portion  of  white  wax 
to  form  the  neck  of  the  flower,  and  place  the  four 
crimson  sepals  round  ;  make  a  small  ball  of  green 
wax  at  the  end  of  the  neck  to  form  the  seed  cup  ; 
cover  the  stem  with  a  thin  strip  of  wax,  and  then 
make  the  buds  of  solid  wax,  in  the  shape  of  the  na¬ 
tural  ones.  Color  them  with  carmine;  press  tlie 


33 


leaves  on  tlie  proper  mold  of  plaster,  and  make  the 
lines  in  the  centre  red  with  the  sable  brush.  A  few 
buds  and  blossoms  arranged  to  droop  down  a  vase 
or  basket  of  flowers  makes  a  very  charming  addition 
to  the  group. 


WHITE  JASMINE. 

Cut  out  the  petals,  five  in  number,  from  white  wax 
doubled  ;  rub  them  over  with  white  color  and  ar¬ 
rowroot;  make  a  stem  of  fine  wire  with  two  fine 
points  of  light-green  wax.  Curl  the  petals  well  at 
the  edge,  place  them  round  the  foundation  of  the 
flower  evenly.  Then  add  the  calyx,  consisting  of 
five  thin  points  of  green  wax.  Cover  the  stem  with 
dark  green,  roll  the  buds  out  of  solid  white  wax  into 
the  proper  shape,  add  a  few  leaves  made  of  a  dark 
shade  of  green,  and  join  them  together  in  an  irreg-' 
ular  manner. 

This  simple  flower  looks  well  at  the  top  of  a 
group  or  basket,  and  gives  a  lightness,  adding  to 
the  general  effect. 

THE  YELLOW  JASMINE. 

This  flower  is  made  in  the  same  way  as  the 
White  Jasmine,  but  is  cut  out  of  yellow  wax,  and 
is  rather  more  round  in  the  shape  of  the  petal. 
The  leaves  are  not  so  pointed,  but  are  made  of  the 
same  color  as  the  White  Jasmine. 


34 


DOOBLE  PURPLE  VIOLET. 

The  petals  are  cut  from  single  thin  wax,  colored 
with  purple  made  by  my  violet  powder.  They 
must  then  be  curled  variously,  with  the  pin,  placed 
round  a  foundation  of  pale  green  wax  on  fine  wire  : 
then  turn  over  the  stem,  cover  with  pale  green 
wax.  Five  points  of  the  same  color  form  the 
calyx. 

Take  care  in  coloring  that  you  leave  about  half 
of  the  petal  white  at  the  base,  or  it  will  not  look 
natural. 

The  buds  are  made  by  placing  a  few  petals  on  a 
foundation  of  solid  wax. 

The  Violet  is  easily  imitated  in  wax. 

THE  DARK  GERANIUM. 

Cut  out  the  three  small  petals  from  thin  white 
wax,  the  two  larger  size  back  petals  from  doubled 
wax  ;  curl  them  at  the  edge  afterward.  Color  the 
small  petals  with  carmine  and  white  color,  (wet ;) 
the  larger  petals  are  first  colored  at  the  edge  with 
a  deep  pink  made  of  carmine  and  white;  then 
color  the  surface  (but  not  cpiite  to  the  edge)  with 
pure  carmine,  the  next  tint  carmine  and  violet, 
after  in  the  extreme  centre,  with  violet,  carmine, 
and  Prussian  blue  mixed  with  a  little  thin  gum- 
water.  The  lines  or  marks  are  made  with  the 
sable  pencil  painted  over  the  flat  surface  of  color. 


35 


and  should  be  delicately  touched.  The  centre  is 
made  of  line  thread  waxed,  and  the  live  points 
placed  together,  letting  them  expand  at  the  top. 
Color  them  with  a  reddish  purple,  and  add  some 
fine  points  cut  from  white  wax,  for  the  stamens. 
Place  the  three  bottom  petals  on  first;  then,  the 
dark  petals  at  the  back.  Cut  the  calyx  out  of 
green  wax,  and  put  round  the  flower. 

The  leaves  should  be  pressed  on  the  mold,  and 
arrow-root  and  green  rubbed  over  to  give  the 
down-like  appearance.  This  can  not  be  imitated 
perfectly,  but  looks  well  when  the  natural  flower  is 
not  present. 

There  is  no  flower  more  difiicult  to  paint  than 
this.  Those  who  understand  coloring  will  find  it 
comparatively  easy ;  but  I  would  not  advise  those 
totally  unacquainted  with  color  to  try  it. 

LILY  OF  THE  VALLEY. 

This  flower  is  made  on  the  wooden  mold  for  that 
purpose.  Take  white  wax,  press  round  the  top  of 
the  mold,  after  it  is  wetted.  This  will  form  a  bell. 
Slip  ofi"  the  mold  and  cut  the  six  points ;  make  a 
centre  of  fine  points  of  yellow  wax ;  roll  these 
round  fine  wire,  and  pass  this  through  the  cup,  roll 
light  green  round  the  wire  for  the  stems ;  make  the 
bud  of  solid  wax,  and  place  them  on  a  thicker  piece 
of  wire  in  a  drooping  shape,  then  add  the  blossom ; 


36 


make  tlie  leaf  of  darkish  green  on  the  surface,  and 
light  green  at  the  back.  Close  the  leaf  round  the 
base  of  tlie  spray,  and  this  will  form  a  very  grace¬ 
ful  addition  to  a  group  of  flowers. 

THE  TUBEROSE. 

Cut  the  petals  out  of  trebled  white  wax  ;  rub 
with  dry  color  made  of  arrow-root,  white,  and  the 
slightest  tinge  of  yellow ;  curl  them  well  at  the 
edge,  and  place  on  the  foundation  made  of  yellow 
points  on  moderate  thickness  of  wire  ;  tint  the 
outer  petals  with  pink  at  the  back,  and  sometimes 
with  a  dull  yellow  green  color;  make  the  stem  of 
very  yellow  pale  green  and  of  a  moderate  thick¬ 
ness.  This  flower  is  very  easily  imitated  in  wax. 

I  have  now  given,  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  the 
directions  for  the  most  popular  flowers.  Should 
the  pupil  find  any  difficulty,  I  shall  be  happy  to 
give  her  any  instruction,  should  she  desire  it.  I 
would  recommend  those  who  wish  to  learn  the  art 
to  apply  to  some  respectable  teacher,  of  name  and 
standing  in  her  profession,  and  to  avoid  those  peo¬ 
ple  who  are  not  professional — a  large  class,  I  am 
sorry  to  say,  who  pretend  to  teach  when  they  are 
the  parties  who  require  instruction.  Quackery  is 
not  limited  to  medicine  only;  pretension,  assum- 


37 


ing  “  the  borrowed  robes  ”  of  art  and  science,  is 
rife  in  every  department,  and,  when  we  strip 
quackery  of  its  theatrical  assumptions,  we  but  find 
the  poor  learner  who  aspired  to  the  rank  of  teacher. 
Look  well  into  their  productions;  see  if  they  have 
imitated  nature;  do  not  bind  youi’self  to  take  a 
certain  number  of  lessons,  but  see  if  they  can  teach 
what  they  profess. 

In  concluding  this  little  treatise,  the  author  can 
not  help  thanking  his  pupils  and  the  public  for  the 
great  kindness  and  patronage  extended  to  him 
during  his  stay  in  the  United  States.  He  trusts 
that  his  artistic  ability  has  merited  it.  He  thinks 
that  his  introduction  of  many  new  methods  of 
overcoming  the  difficulties  in  this  beautiful  art 
have  at  least  saved  them  some  trouble,  and  assisted 
them  in  attaining  greater  perfection  in  their 
studies. 

The  author  would  strongly  advise  the  public  to 
purchase  the  best  materials  only ;  much  inferior 
wax  and  colors  are  sold  that  are  not  fit  for  imitat¬ 
ing  nature.  All  orders  for  materials  will  be 
promptly  executed  on  receiving  a  letter  by  mail. 
Should  any  infoi’mation  as  regards  prices  be  re¬ 
quired,  he  will  be  happy  to  send  a  price  list,  and 
where  he  has  no  agent  for  the  sale  of  his  materials, 
all  orders  exceeding  ten  dollars  will  be  sent  free  of 
express  charge. 


38 


Wholesale  price  lists  sent  to  those  parties  desir¬ 
ous  of  selling  Worgan’s  Materials  for  Wax 
Flowers. 

Every  order  sent  will  be  executed  with  the 
greatest  care  by  Mr.  Worgan  personally. 


H.  H.  DICKINSON, 


SOLE  AGENT  FOK  BROOKLYN  FOR 

WoRGAN’s  Materials 


FOR 


Wliolesale  dealers  supplied  on  tlie  most  liberal 
terms. 


Lessons  given  by  Mr.  Worgan  at  the  inipil’s 
residence  in  I^ew  York  or  Brooklyn.  All  letters 
to  be  directed 

G.  WORGAN, 

46  Montague  Place,  Brooklyn. 


V 


GETTY  CENTER  LIBRARY 


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